In 1967, California Governor Ronald
Reagan issued several financial cuts in an attempt to balance the state budget, which
deeply affected the salaries and educational goals of the CSU system. Professors at
SFVSC took an active stand against the proposed budget cuts by joining with the American
Federation of Teachers in the 1967 Teachers Strike. Abcarian's campus unrest papers
document the turmoil facing CSUN and the nation at large during the late 1960s. The
issues of academic freedom, civil and student rights, teacher's salaries and the
Vietnam War are central to the collection.

Background

As a member of the CSUN faculty, Dr. Abcarian took an active role throughout the last
half of the 1960s supporting several key protest movements that occurred on the campus
of California State University, Northridge, then called San Fernando Valley State
College. In 1967, then Governor Ronald Reagan issued several financial cuts to balance
the state budget which deeply affected the salaries and educational goals of the CSU
system. Professors at SFVSC took an active stand against the proposed budget cuts by
joining ranks with the American Federation of Teachers in the 1967 Teachers Strike. Dr.
Abcarian, along with other members of the faculty and activists in the student body,
also actively supported fellow English professor Barry Sander during his retention case
following his unexpected firing by the University's administration.

Extent

4.66 linear feet

Restrictions

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s)
of this collection has not been transferred to California State University,
Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or
reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond
that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners.
Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of
the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.